Portal Time 2: Forbidden Testing
by MaximumSoldier
Summary: Finn is dead. Or...is he? For the past two years, Finn's been condemened to test with a narsasistic GLaDOS FOREVER! Will Finn escape the new and "relocated" Aperture Science, or will GLaDOS do what she should have done two years ago? Little does Finn know that the game's changed, in more ways than one... Chapter 06 is up! Reviews, please! :D Happy New Year, Folks!
1. Author's Note

Author's Note

**Hey, hey! MaxmumSoldier here! You've waited a long time for this (well, not really), so here it is! The one…the only...**

_PORTAL TIME 2: Forbidden Testing!_

**Now, you may be wondering why in the world this story is out so early. Well, for one, i'm impatient! (:D) And two, the original ending ended with a cliffhanger, so I didn't want to piss off my readers. **

**Next on the agenda is the rating. This story is indeed rated "M" for multiple reasons. But, one of them involves the previous story. My readers may remember that some scenes in the original contained seriously graphic moments (i.e. Test Chamber Goo anyone?) This story is supposed to go beyond the violence and action the last one included. So, just to be safe, this one is indeed rated "M". But, for those of you who don't care about the mindless violence, then just say "More gore for me" and start reading.**

**So, happy reading to all new readers, and welcome back to all old readers! Today... let's talk _portals..._**

_-MaximumSoldier :D :D :D_


	2. Prolouge

Prolouge- In Memorium

_She remembered. She was there. She remembered the tests. She remembered the portals. She remembered the turrets. She remembered the endless corridors. She remembered the torture, the blood, the fear. She remembered it. The voice. The horrible jobs. The horrors itput them through. She remembered…him._

_ Her hero. Her best friend. Her protector. She remembered what itdid to him. It killed him. And left her to deal with it. It was a fact that she could never forget. You may be able to escape from it, but not with your-_

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _

The young woman's eyes opened, letting in bright light. Her eyes shifted, at first panicked. She swore she saw white-washed panels directly overhead. But, instead, a simple pattern of yellow paint and bricks was revealed. She let out a sigh of relief. Everything was fine. Or, at least, fine for now.

_BEEP! BE-_

Her name was Bonnibel Bubblegum, age eighteen. She was one of the most powerful people in all of the strange and wondrous Land of Ooo, Princess and ruler of the Candy Kingdom. She, unlike most young girls like her, had the burden of running an entire kingdom bestowed on her at birth. Up to this point, she had done well. But, that was before Aperture.

Bonnibel got up from her pink-sheeted bed, drenched in sweat. She sighed once more, looking about her room, fit for a princess. But, anyone in her room really wouldn't be able to tell at first glance.

Her room, usually a beautiful excursion of beauty and royalty, seemed more like a long-forgotten building, lying at the side of the road. The entire room seemed to give off a dark grey feel. The windows were locked, with plastic sheeting covering them up. Cardboard boxes were strewn across the floor, some empty, some stuffed to the brim with clothes, books, and science equipment. Plastic covered up most of the custom made furniture, including the partially unsheathed drawer. The room was a reminder to Bonnibel that life had come to this. A sickly grey shell of old memories and broken hearts.

_KNOCK, KNOCK!_

"W-who is it?" Bubblegum answered in a low, weak voice, still recovering from the night before. The memories. The nightmares…

"Princess? Princess, are you all right?" A kind, low voice sounded behind the door, helping Bubblegum feel at least a bit more comfortable. She recognized that voice anywhere. It was Peppermint Butler; one of Bubblegum's most trusted officials. He, like his mistress, was a candy person, a peppermint in a suit to be exact.

"Yeah." Bubblegum ran over to the drawer, tugging and pulling at the clothes in the drawer. "I'll be out in a minute." Moments later, she was at the door. "What is it?"

"My, princess." The small peppermint said in a caring voice, noticing Bubblegum's state. "Have you been sleeping all right?"

"Yeah," Bubblegum lied, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. What's wrong?"

"Well, Princess," Peppermint hesitated, reaching for a plastic bag behind him. "Don't you remember? It's…today…" Bubblegum was confused. _What was today? I don't remember…oh…that._

The depressing realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Today was a dark day for all of Ooo. Today was Finn's funeral.

"Yes, well…" Peppermint hesitated, pulling the bag to his front. "We have your clothes. We're beginning in about an hour." Bubblegum nervously gripped the bag. "Can I get you anything to-"

"No. No, I'm fine." Bubblegum interrupted, closing the door. "I'll be downstairs in a minute." She closed the door, leaving Peppermint at the door.

She looked down at the bag, staring at its contents. It contained a completely black gown, and black shoes. Bubblegum thought to herself, as she opened the bag and began to dress quietly. _Why all this black? Finn would probably recommend everyone dressing in absolutely ridiculous colors. _Bubblegum slipped on her last shoe, standing up and gazing at herself in the mirror. _At least that would be more like him. _

Bubblegum slipped out of her room, walking quietly through the well-lit, yellow bricked hall, still trapped in her depressed mood. Unlike most days, there was absolutely no one in the halls. All was quiet. Bubblegum continued on her way, reaching the spiral staircase and walking quietly down the steps, every step echoing through the tube.

Finally, she reached the bottom, entering the main hall. The entire hall was swarming with candy people, all of them dressed exactly the same; Black suits, black dresses, the works. Everyone remained in a quiet uproar of soft chatter. But, as Bubblegum entered the room, everyone fell quiet. Bubblegum could feel the eyes on her, the shocked and sorrowful eyes. She felt as if she were back in the pit, being watched twenty-four-seven. She could never escape their gazes, no matter how hard she tried to avoid their eyes. Thankfully, Peppermint walked up to Bubblegum, taking most of the eyes off of her.

"There you are, Princess." Bubblegum merely nodded. "The crowd has already begun to show. We'll be beginning soon."

"Allright." Bubblegum walked into the crowd, closely followed by Peppermint. "How many are out there?" Bubblegum tried to remain as calm and businesslike as possible.

"Well…" Peppermint walked ahead of the crowd, out towards the grand door. But, directly outside, was a madhouse.

There were thousands and thousands of people waiting right out in the front courtyard. A sea of black stretched all the way to the front gates. Half of Ooo was at Bubblegum's doorstep.

_Good thing we didn't even bother sending out invites. _Bubblegum tried to reason with herself as she walked in front of the group in the main hall. _Either way, all of Ooo was going to show up. _

"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" Bubblegum called through the hall. The group's eyes were once again on her. "We're about to begin, let's go out to the field." _Or, what's left of it. _

Bubblegum lead the way down the stairs, followed closely by Peppermint and half of Ooo. Gazing through the crowd, she immediately spotted familiar faces. Lumpy Space Princess floated through the group, dressed like everyone else. She was usually either complaining or yelling at her mother over the phone. But, now, she simply floated quietly, her eyes red with tears.

As Bubblegum stepped through the gate, she spotted the great Billy, hero of Ooo, dressed in a black suit. He used to be Ooo's hero, before Finn or his brother Jake stepped into the picture. He was Finn and Jake's idle. _So there he is. Here to pay his respects. _

The group walked past the pretzel portcullis, across the moat, and out onto the vast fields that surrounded the pink kingdom of candy. But, it wasn't exactly a field anymore. Out to the right side of the kingdom was a gigantic crater, stretching as far as the eye could see. Dirt and smoke seemed to slowly rise from it, as if something just went _kaboom_ from the inside. The memory once again entered Bubblegum's mind. This was where Finn died.

Dead ahead was a gigantic elevated stage, surrounded by thousands of empty chairs. A black curtain covered up a large shape on the stage.

Soon, everyone began to migrate to the seats, as the officials and special guests sat down at the stage. Peppermint hiked up the stairs, followed by Bubblegum and the other special guests. Bubblegum sat down on her marked seat, and looked across the stage, over at the special guests.

Of course, Finn's brother and best friend Jake sat right next to her. He was a magic bulldog, with powers to stretch into just about anything. His family, back when Finn was only a baby, found him in the woods and took him in. He was Finn's best friend. He was there when Finn died. He was there throughout the entire dilemma in Aperture. He was always there.

In Jake's lap was a small computer gaming system, with the letters "BMO" painted on the side. A green screen on its front resembles a face, depicting BMO as sad at the moment. It was Finn and Jake's roommate. It was usually there when Finn or Jake needed help. It was there for pretty much everyone at the stage.

Next to Jake was Marceline, the infamous Vampire Queen. She was, of course, dressed in black, but was holding her red axe bass with her, strumming it quietly as the group began to settle down. She was one of Finn's best friends, also there for him down in Aperture. She was a rocker, the kind of person who you'd find breaking something or doing something ridiculous. Normally, Bubblegum would avoid contact with her at all times. But, to their dismay, they were trapped together down in Aperture. In fact, very strange things happened between the two while they were trapped inside. But, Bubblegum and Marceline decided that they should probably spare themselves the embarassment and never mention it again. Marceline seemed relaxed, to the shock of the people below and to Bubblegum. _Maybe she was depressed. _She thought.

At the very end was someone that wasn't Finn's friend until days ago. Her name was Chell, and she was now the last remaining human. She was found down in Aperture, forced to test for the rest of her life. Finn and Jake rescued her, planning their escape. She was the only reason Finn, Jake, Marceline, or Bubblegum made it out of Aperture. Without her, they would all be dead.

Everyone had finally calmed down, silently chatting as Bubblegum stepped up to the microphone. As she stood there, everyone went silent.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen." Bubblegum nervously began. "We are here today to remember Finn the Human, a brave hero for all of Ooo." Bubblegum struggled to remain calm. She couldn't stop. Not now. "Finn the Human was a brave young man. But, my words aren't enough. So, we have called some of Finn's closest friends to talk about Finn the Human. Today, we will begin with Jake the Dog, Finn's brother and best friend."

_That sounded way too rehearsed. _Bubblegum thought, as she sat down to weak applause as Jake fixed his suit and walked up to the microphone.

The speeches continued on, with Jake's speech about memories, BMO speech about life with him, and finally Marceline's stories and custom made song, dedicated to him. Half of the audience was left crying after her speech. But, Bubblegum tried to remain calm, cool, and collected. _It's not over yet._ Finally, as the day grew brighter and later, Chell's turn was up.

"Thank you." Chell calmly motioned to Marceline. "Well, uh, hi." Chell mumbled into the microphone. "Um, Finn the Human was…what's the word for it…" _Geez, she's not okay with this. _Bubblegum thought. Even the audience began to become a little nervous.

"No. No. There are no words that you can call Finn the Human. Oh, no, words like hero, man, or knight will never, ever cover it." The audience was once again intrigued by Chell.

"I've only known Finn the Human for a matter of hours before he was killed." Chell continued. "At first glance, I thought he was just some lovesick teenager with a problem with obsessions. But, as I really got to know him, he was more than just that. Much, much more than that. He was driven, devoted even. He had guaranteed himself that everyone was going to get out, even if it was going to cost his very life. It did." She paused, as every single person leaned on the edge of their seats. "Even if it cost his very life, we can and will remember him for his great deeds. We can't remember him as a hero, but we can remember him as something greater. Something…_beyond_ that. May Finn the Human rest in peace." With that, Chell sat down, followed by roaring applause. _Wow… _Bubblegum could feel the effects of the speech. It was the truth. Nothing more, nothing less. With those words on her mind, she stepped up to the microphone.

"Thank you, Chell." Bubblegum mumbled, trying to quiet the audience. "To conclude or day of remembrance, we would like hereby declare Finn as the greatest hero of Ooo, with this statue." With a quick press of a button, the black drapes dropped from the shape, revealing an absolutely beautiful sight; a candy-steel statue of Finn the Human, with his sword drawn, ready to protect anyone from harm. Everyone stood from their seats and cheered, commending the statue. It was a symbol. A symbol that no matter what evil rises into the Land of Ooo, they can handle it. Finn would have handled it, so they can handle it, too.

The funeral ended later on in the afternoon, leaving everyone to remember the statements that everyone had made. In fact, everyone had left the funeral in a better mood. Hope had become one with the people once more. But, Bubblegum remained unchanged. Tears threatened to burst out at any moment for the remainder of the evening. In fact, as she finally left to her chambers once more at the end of the night, she finally let it out. Who was she kidding? She knew the truth. All of Ooo's leaders knew it, too. Finn the Human was the only reason Ooo hasn't died in the past few years. She knew that this hope wasn't going to last. She knew that soon, Ooo will fall.

**Geez, PB, get happy! Everyone else is...sort of. Hope has spread through Ooo once again...but will Bubblegum's ever-growing fears come to pass? Tune in later on for more! (P.S. Updating will unfortunately become scattered once more. As you all know, school's back in!** **But don't worry, the story WILL continue! See ya'll in a few!**


	3. Chapter 01

Chapter 01- Testing is YOUR future

_FLASH! BEEP!_

"Good Morning! You have been asleep for...12.5...hours. You must be woken to continue your mandatory testing schedule. Today, you will be completing tests 24 through 76 of the...anti-gravity chambers. Your room will now be moved to the nearest HUB. Thank you, and enjoy your day in the Aperture Science Lunar Research and Enrichment Center!"

_BEEP!_

There was a loud _clank, _and everything seemed to shift slightly, as if it was knocked off its balance. With that, a young teen shifted in his sleep, and woke up.

He was a sixteen-year-old boy, with blonde hair and a white animal hat which he always insisted on wearing. For most people, he would be considered some kind of super-kid with the teen's complextion; superior strength, agility, and willpower. But, where he came from, he was in fact considered a hero. His name was Finn, hero of Ooo.

Finn shifted, rapidly blinking his eyes in the blaring light above. He reached his hand outwards, as he sat up from the small bed. He shook out his hair, yawning and smacking his lips. He was having the most wonderful dream. He was resting on a grassy hill next to his best friend Jake, looking at the clouds in the sky. But, of course, Finn was going to come back to reality eventually. The reality of endless tests. The reality of constant danger and threats of death. The reality of Aperture Science.

He hopped out of bed, hoping to forget his dreams of his old home, remembering that the only way to survive Aperture was to be on your toes. He looked over his small room, made of white paneled walls, sterile lights, a single bedside table, and a lone sterile toilet in the corner of the room. They were cramped quarters, but Finn had gotten used to them over the years. His "home".

The Aperture Science of space. A superior research facility stuck in the orbit of "the Moon" as the intercom called it. Finn remember the day he arrived, in a bleeding, mangled mess. It was his only salvation. But, Finn would have taken death over Aperture. but, it wasn't his choice to make. But, Finn left the thought behind. It was time to move.

Finn walked to the table, reaching inside a cabinet and grabbing a large, orange jumpsuit, with the Aperture Science logo proudly sitting on the back. Finn grouned, sliding himself inside of it. He had cried, bled, and tested in the suit for a long time, but he could never, ever, get used to the horrible smell the fabric gave off.

He looked down at his arms, ajusting his sleeves, until looking at his left arm. He sighed with sorrow, as he tried to ignore the eyesore that was his cybernetic arm. Wires and blinking lights were scattered across the arm, hidden in between white plastic armor pads that protected much more precious machinery. His hand was a flat, three fingered, mess of broken plastic and splintered wires, due to all of the punishment it had been through. But, dispite the strangeness of it all, the main thought that burrowed into Finn's head was how he got it. It was the single worst thing that happened to him. It was the day he lost his friends. The day he lost everything.

Marceline, Jake, Chell. Three friends that Finn could never get over. It had been over two years since their escape from Aperture Science, and he still remembered each and every one of them. They were the people who stood by him as he proudly stepped into hell to go and "save the day", like he had done several times before. Except, that one adventure cost him everything he could ever imagine. It cost him Bubblegum. His true crush. His only crush. His _love. _It had been two years, and nothing had changed. Nothing would ever change. He loved Bubblegum, and there was nothing else that could possibly stop him from denying this fact.

Except for GLaDOS. Finn growled with anger as he remembered. GLaDOS was the warden of "scientific" hell. She ran the Aperture Science Enrichment Center and it's predecessor. "She" was the devil, and nobody would ever doubt _that. _

She had kept Finn locked up for two years, forcing him to test with strange technology. _Portal Technology. _It was a strange set of tech that allowed it's user to _teleport _through two sets portals. This was to become the worlds greatest inventions, until GLaDOS changed everything. GLaDOS deleted it from human memory, taking Aperture's legacy with it. After that, she just tested with it. It was in her programming. All she could do was test...

That was Finn's only purpose. Finn walked over to the bed, sitting down and bowing his head in thought. All _he _could do was test. Nothing else. He was property. And GLaDOS owned him. And GLaDOS reserved "the owner's right to _destroy _property".

Finn lifted his head, leaving his thoughts to the back of his head. He needed to focus. In Aperture Science, he needed to stay sharp. If your caught off your guard, you could easily end up in the nearest airlock out in a vacuum-packed bag. Finn learned to remain on his guard, even as he slept after a long lunar cycle of testing. He would even grip the sharpest item he could find and hide it next to his pillow...just in case. Just in case GLaDOS would come back for more blood...

THUMP! His train of thought crashed as the small room shook and came to a halt. Suddenly, the wall in front of Finn's bed opened up like elevator doors, revealing a long, bright corridor, leading to a small, circular door.

_Here we go. _Finn mumbled. He got up, and marched out of his room and out into the hall. It was time to froget about sorrow. It was time to forget about fear, sadness, and memory. It was time to test with GLaDOS. It was time...to start surviving.

_**"FINALLY!" **_**is probably the word that you said as you finished the chapter. If not...then I guess i'm not psychic ;D. Thanks for waiting, guys! I apologize for the shortness, but I do intend on piling on chapters from here on out! Cheers, you guys! **


	4. Chapter 02

Chapter 02: "We just have a few questions..."

"Alright, gentlemen! We're on in sixty seconds!"

"Lights, people! Lights!"

"Where's Bubble- Oh, there you are! Get to the podium!"

"Thirty seconds!"

"Check...che-Wait a minute! CAMERA!"

"Ten seconds!"

"Okay, sweety! Your on in five...four...three...two..."

There was a bright flash, and everyone went silent. Everyone in Ooo was watching now. No room for error...it was time to speak...

"Good evening, citizens of Ooo." Bubblegum began, looking over at the group of pink, rolling cameras. "I would like to welcome you all to the annual Ooo Royalty check in! Today, we have all of the kingdoms lined up here today to speak about current state of Ooo. However, two kingdoms have denied the invitation, and that's-" Bubblgum quickly flipped through her notes of the side of the podium. "The Ice and Fire Kingdoms. Okay, we will open up with the opening statement from the Breakfast Princesses. Thank you."

Bubblegum walked across the T.V. stage. Immediately, she took a seat behind the main curtain, as the two Breakfast Princess walked on stage.

Today was the Grand Ooo Royalty Check-In, held every year. It was designed to let Ooo's inhabitants know about the current state of the Kingdoms and the lands. It was a standard procedure. But, not this year.

Bubblegum walked over to the water cooler, grabbing a cup and filling it up to the brim. She had been surprised a few nights before at the kingdom's persistance to do another Check-In. They already knew what was going on outside.

Ooo had fallen into chaos the previous two years. Everyone had known it was inevitable when Finn died. Even Jake publically declared a few weeks afterwords that protecting Ooo was more than a one-mans job. Things...went downhill from there.

Bubblegum peered through the thick curtains, watching the Breakfast Princess' give an overview of the check-in. They kept a happy grin plastered over their faces. _Howe could they? _Bubblegum calmly sipped her water. _Knowing what evceryone is thinking of as they speak? The expectations. The thoughts. The rumors...how?_

As soon as Jake made his public announcement, crime rates sky-rocketed out of control. People were being robbed, murdered, beaten...even friendly kingdoms went off the maps, and showed up about a few days later with weapons, hell-bent on war. The whole kingdom...

"...went to hell." Bubblegum finished her thought as the two princesses stepped off from the podium. Bubblegum stood up, and walked back up to the podium.

"Thank you, ladies." Bubblegum began. "Next, we will have...oh...the Lumpy Space King and Queen...speaking. Apparently, LSP is unavailable due to...boyfriend troubles." There was scattered chuckling from the people behind the curtain.

"Figures..." Bubblegum stepped back behind the curtain.

Ooo was dropped into a period of absolute chaos. Thousands of people died in mere months. The Candy Kingdom was placed under quarentine when the armies began marching on the castle. After a few days of quick negotiations, all kingdoms went silent. All because of one little statement...

"Thank you!" The gruff voice of the Lumpy Space King concluded, as he/she floated offstage.

_My turn..._

"Thank you, lady and gentleman." Bubblegum turned to face the camera. "Now, I will answer any question pertaining to the Candy Kingdom."

Immediately, a couple of reporters walked onto the sound stage.

"Alright, Miss Bubblegum," One of the reporters began. "We just have a few questions..."

This was standard procedure. Reporters would walk onto the sound stage, and ask all the commonly asked questions by the people of Ooo.

"Okay, what's the first question?" Bubblegum asked.

"How is the status of the Candy Kingdom Treaty?"

_Easy..._Bubblegum mumbled. "The treaty will be remain in tact until other kingdoms will cease forceful actions on it's walls."

"Has Jake the Dog discussed any current actions about the crime rates in the Grasslands?"

"There have been no words on the status of the crime rates."

"Will there ever be a direct line of travel that is safe from criminal activity?"

"A central highway crossing over the Aperture Crater is planned to be founded in two to three years."

"When is Finn coming back?"

* * *

"These people want the truth! I can't posslbly lie to them!"

The first Ooo Check-In since the Aperture Incident. Thousands of angry mobbers protested at the castle doors. Tears of fear and frustration dropped from Bubblegum's face. She didn't even know what happened! One minute, someone asked for her to adress the "rumors of the Finn death conspiracy". She got confused, refused to ask the question, and ended to press confrence. That, unfortunately, didn't run well with the viewers.

"Look, your highness!" Peppermint Butler demanded. "These guys won't go days without Finn! If you want to garentee your kingdom's safety, then your gonna have to lie!

"But, they were at the funeral! They know that he died!"

"They don't know for sure! Rumors are buzzing that Finn's death was a conspiracy, A FUCKING CONSPIRACY!" Butler was in Bubblegum's face, now. "They're convinced that Finn is still alive! They can't eexcept the truth, so their just thinking that he's still alive!"

"Exactly!" Bubblegum's face had grown pale from all the yelling. "That's not my problem! They're just being idiotic! They must-"

"-But they CAN'T except the truth!" Peppermint angrilly replied. "They need motivation if you want this kingdom to remain sane! Look at what happened during the riots, before Finn and Jake even showed up to protect us! None of us could calm them down! And how did we fix it!?" Bubblegum remained silent. "We lied! We told them that the entire kingdom was protected by a massive force field of magic from a wizard in the palace!" Peppermint paused. "We told them that we were all going to be fine! It saved us two years in a bunker!"

Bubblegum remained frozen with fear and shock. Everything went unnaturely quiet, and the distant sounds of shout grew back into focus. Finally, Bubblegum stod up from the floor, where she laid crumpled in a paniced heep as she argued with Peppermint.

"Fine..." Bubblegum hesitated. "I'll do it. But I swear, this is going to bite us in the ass. I gaurentee you that."

* * *

_This is going to bite us in the ass. This is going to bite us in the ass. This is going to bite us in the ass._

"Miss Bubblegum?" The reporter asked, peering at the silent Bubblegum. "Did you hear, 'When is Finn coming back'? That is the most commonly asked question in Ooo today."

Bubblegum peered off to her right, as she began to studder. Peppermint was standing behind the curtain, mouthing words to her.

_Mother fucker. I KNEW this was going to happen. _Bubblegum thought. She desperately tried to read his lips. She could barely make it out..._LIE...LIE...LIE..._

Bubblegum turned back to face the cameras. "Well, er...um..."

"Miss Bubblegum, as you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Uh...Finn...is..." Bubblegum made another desperate look over to Peppermint. _LIE._

"...is coming home to Ooo from an adventure in far off lands in a few weeks. He will arrive to answer any questions you have to ask then."

Everything seemed to freeze after Bubblegum finished her answer. The camera men had surprised and confused faces. The reporters exchanged disbelieving looks.

"Er-We are sorry for not revealing this information to you earlier," Bubblegum desperately tried to gain the audiences attention once more, trying to remain calm. "We didn't even know until very recently. We never did find his body after the Aperutre Incident, and we too believed him gone. But, Finn left us a sign." Immediately, Bubblegum dug through her loose notes and papering on the podium. She retrieved a soied, coffee stained piece of paper, and begun to read.

"Princess, something has happened during my time in Aperture. Thee horrible moments, the terrible torture...it's gotten to me. I had to move on, to get my life back and set on the right track. I aplologize for my absence, but I will arrive back home, to Ooo, in two weeks. Thank you, Finn."

Everyone was once again silent.

_Shit. That sounded too fake. No one could possibly-_

Bubblegum was blasted with happy, excited, and demanding questions.

"Thank you, Princess! But, with all honesty," A particularly loud reporter shouted. "You could have told us earlier!"

Bubblegum nervously chuckled, with a stupidly happy smile slapped on her face. She glanced at Peppermint, who also beared a smile.

"Thank you, no more questions. Thank you!" Bubblegum waved as she walked behind the stage, carried off by the deafening shouts.

"Well, I guess you were right." Bubblegum smiled.

He simply nodded, and motioned for Bubblegum to follow him out of the studio.

"But, how long will it last?" Bubblegum pushed open the back door and walked out into the bright summer afternoon. Peppermint hesitated, and replied.

"Hopefully...for two weeks." Fear once again sank into Bubblegum and Peppermint's hearts. _How are we going to-_

_CRASH!_

Peppermint soared into the wall, screaming before he dropped to the floor, lying still. Bubblegum scream, and with a sudden _blast_ of freezing cold air, she had blacked out.


	5. Chapter 03

Chapter 03- #608

_Ratatatat!_

Finn dove behind a wall, heavily panting. He looked down at himself, and quickly discovered a large cut on his side, dripping blood.

"Shit." He mumbled. He counted softly to himself as the turret behind the wall slowly re-entered sleep mode. Then, with a last breath, he jumped out from behind the wall, and kicked the milky grey turret to the floor, watching it fire bullets in all directions before finally deactivating.

He looked behind the turret, spotting the prize. He grabbed the glowing cube with his portal gun, and marched on towards the chamber's exit. He dropped the cube atop the glowing red button, and quietly left the chamber without another word.

"Not bad." Shivers crawled down Finn's back. _GLaDOS. _"I forgot how good you are at this."

"Shouldn't you be staring at a wall somewhere?" Finn spat, as he climbed into the small, tubular elevator. The elevator ascended into darkness once more, as GLaDOS continued.

"Correction. I was staring at a very peculiar nail on the floor." GLaDOS chuckled darkly. "Anyway, your just about done with this section, then I've got a surprise for you."

"What is it? Another burnt corpse? An empty room? A-"

"Now now." GLaDOS interrupted, as the elevator came to a sickening halt at the next test entrance. "This is a REAL surprise! With tragic consequences..."

"Of course, there's always a catch."

Finn the Human had tested for four hours now. He had one hour left before his mandatory sleep cycle, and the "day" was winding down and coming to an end. He was looking forward to his nice quiet room, where hee could FINALLY be away from the _thing _that watched him, every minute of every "day".

The test chamber entrance opened up to a small, linear room. The walls were covered with dark steel panels. A large pane of two-way mirror replaced the righthand wall, and stretched all the way to the end of the chamber.

"This room's-OOF-awfully familiar." Finn dropped off the main catwalk, and into the test chamber.

"It _should _be." GLaDOS added. "This chamber was built to look exactly like your first test EVER!"

"Yipee."

"But, I've added a few tweeks, of course."

_CLANK!_

Directly above Finn, dozens and dozens of panels unscrewed themselves, and revealed a massive pipe. Thousands and thousands of smaller, children pipes spawned from it, all of them shaped like fire sprinklers.

"Oh sh-"

_BEEP!_

Finn dove out-of-the-way, narrowly avoiding the acid. He rolled and ducked to avoid the sprinklers, as the splattered the room with the foul liquid.

"What the hell!? You out of your goddamn mind!?" Finn screamed, finding as safe corner. He could feel the acid beginning to burn into his jumpsuit.

"Hm, maybe." GLaDOS replied. "But, believe it or not, this is your last test for the day. All you have to do is find a way to turn off the sprinklers...before the room's flooded. Good luck."

"FUCK! How do you expect me to do this!?" No answer. He was on his own for this one.

Without thinking, Finn desperately grabbed the narrow edges between the steel. He pushed himself upwards, leaving the portal gun on the floor. He held his position, determined to stay as far away from the slowly growing pool in the center of the room. He looked upwards, searching for another crevice to grip. With another painful push, he reached his mechanical arm to the crevice, and pulled upwards. He gripped the wall with his legs, and peered down. He was five feet up. _Twenty to go. _

_HISS!_

Finn gazed in horror as his portal gun corroded into a puddle of plastic. The pool had reached the corners, and was steadily ascending! Finn once again reached upwards towards the nearest crack, when-

_CLANK! HISS!_

Finn screamed in pain. His foot touched the acid! He saw a one steel panel, now a greyish puddle of corroded steel. He pulled upwards again, and grabbed another crevice, nearly losing his balance once again. His foot was out, but the pain remained. The stench of burning flesh met Finn's nose, and stank in his nostrils.

He pulled again, now about ten feet off the ground. His muscles burned, but he knew that this wasn't the worst thing to happen to him. He needed to stay strong! He needed to-

_CRASH!_

Finn turned his head as far as he could, and spotted a lone panel drop into the pool. A grey portal appeared on it, even as the panel began to melt away. A white flash flew out of it, and dropped into the pool. It was a cube! The cube sailed towards Finn, and had begun to corrode.

_Maybe, I could use it! Wait, no, that thing's too light! I'll sink! But, the pool's not TOO deep. Maybe...no...shit! _There wasn't any other escape option. Maybe, he would make it.

_Finger's crossed!_Finn thought as he blindly dropped atop of the cube. The cube dropped a few inches into the pool, but remained a sturdy platform. Finn let out a shaky breath, but remembered the corroding panel. There was only one hope of escape!

Finn eyed the melting panel, looking into the grey portal. _Glob damn it...I'm not gonna make it...I'm not gonna make it...I'm not-_

Before he knew it, he had leaped into the grey portal, and flew into the air screaming. With a loud _clank, _he hit the floor.

He quietly gasped for air, fear still pumping through his veins. _Did I make it? _He felt around, and discovered he lied strewn on top of a steel floor, with a small drop of blood sitting where his nose once lied. He was saved! By...who?

"You alright?" A low voice sounded from behind Finn.

Finn heart leaped. It was low, with a hint of sarcasm tied to it, like Marceline. But, there was something else. A hint of...innocence. He rolled onto his back, and faced his savior.

The voice had belonged to a young teen, about a year younger than Finn. Long, brown, messy hair sat atop her head, and reached down to the middle of her back. Her face was young and innocent, yet covered with bruises. Freckles lightly dotted her cheeks. Her eyes were a strange tint of dark green. A grey tank top with the Aperture logo, orange cargo pants, pale skin, long-fall boots, and a dirty portal gun completed her look. On her chest, a sole name-tag read '#608'. But, the biggest question that bounced in Finn's head was..._Is she a human?_

"I said, are you alright?" She asked, smirking.

"Y-yeah." Finn could feel a light blush with embarrassment. "Thanks. For...yeah..."

"No problem." She observed Finn, and helped Finn up. "Hey, what was that all about? Do you know?"

Finn hesitated. "I don't know. I was just...wait, why do you ask?"

"Well," The girl began. "I walked into the test, and heard GLaDOS speaking. Suddenly, the room was flooded with test chamber goo! I climbed up into the roof, and say you in the opposite room."

"Wait, you had the two-way mirror-"

"Yep. So, I just grabbed what I could find and saved you." She smiled a bright, enthusiastic smile, and revealed a few chipped teeth. Finn smiled, nervously. He couldn't think of anything else to do.

"Well, uh-"

"Sorry to interrupt this conversation. You both passed the test! And now, I'd like to introduce to you the next stage in your testing career. Finn...meet Test subject number six-oh-eight. Genuine human, and your new partner."

**Wooo! NEW CHARACTER UNLOCKED! But no, things don't end here! Finn and my new OC's testing problems don't end here! Comment and review for more Portal Time!**


	6. Chapter 04

**WARNING! This chapter contains sexually suggestive content and violence. You have been warned...**

Chapter 04- A Neglected Enemy, A Forgotten Friend

Darkness. Breathless silence. Pain. _Freezing Cold_.

"Wake up, bitch." A dark, hatred fueled voice seemed to ooze like oil into her ears. Bubblegum twitched, and sank back into her once quiet world.

_This is a dream. A nightmare, yeah. This isn't real. Maybe if I-_

**_SLAP!_**

Bubblegum let out a deafening scream, as she dropped to the floor with a dull _thunk. _She barely opened her eyes, and observed heer now sideways surroundings.

The room was a blue sanctum, complete with stalactites of chilled water, bars made entirely of ice, and chilled blood slowly gliding across the floor. She looked to her right and left, discovering she wasn't the only prisoner of her now obvious kidnapper. About five other princesses surrounded her, all of them wearing blindfolds. Their clothes were torn, and stained with blood and urine. Fear began to grow obvious on her face as she spotted the absent Lumpy Space Princess, lying in the corner, quiet and still.

_This is a nightmare. This is a nightmare. This is a-_

"Did you here me?" Bubblegum was yanked from the floor, and brought up to eye level with her kidnapper. Just as she suspected: _Ice King. _

But, there was something different about him. His robes were covered with blood stains. His hands were colder and frostier than usual, and seemed to give off a foul, dead smell. Her beard was messy and knotted, and seemed to be looser and paler. His face was covered with nail marks, clearly from the other princesses. But, the thing that stood out the most for him was his eyes. They were darker, and full of black veins. His eyes...seemed to draw her in. They weren't his eyes. They reminded her of-

"Pay attention!" _SLAP! _Bubblegum could feel her bruise on her face swell larger and larger. "That's better. Nice to see your finally up. I had to familiarize myself with the others while you slept. I must have hit you harder than I thought."

Shivers tingled down her spine. This wasn't his voice. She could feel the relish emanating from deep inside of him. It was as if he was about to do something absolutely horrible...

_And he was going to enjoy it..._

Bubblegum was thrown to the stone-cold floor, sputtering as Ice King approached her. Fear was all around her now. She could feel both Ice King's and the Princess' eyes on her. This wasn't going to end well.

**_CRASH!_**

Bubblegum collided with Ice King's drum set, now scattered across the filthy floor. Bubblegum barely had time to catch her breath before she was thrown to the corner once more. Blood was gushing from her nose now. Her clothes were now covered with filth and dirt. Ice king approached now, with a completely different gaze now. It was of hatred...and _lust_.

Ice King leapt atop of Bubblegum, darkly chuckling to himself. She let out an ear-piercing scream, but she was silenced by Ice King's frost incrusted hands. She thrashed and bucked, her muffled screaming now barely hearable. She could _feel_ him now. His right hand slowly traveled across her body. Bubblegum thrashed once more, but Ice King's grip had tightened around her mouth, determined to shut her up. His hand was at her legs now, slowly lifting her torn dress. She screamed and called, fear and hopelessness knocking on her door. She heard an obvious _rip, _her heart now beating faster than ever.

_This is it. _Bubblegum cried out in her mind, shutting her eyes as Ice King tore violently at her dress. _This is it. I...I...I-_

"I hope your enjoying yourself, Princess. There's a lot more where that came from-"

_**SLASH!**_

Freezing cold liquid splattered all over Bubblegum's face. Ice King violently twitched, and his grip loosened. Screams from the other princesses had risen out of thin air.

_**SPLAT! SLASH! SLASH!**_

The screaming intensified as the next three blows rang out. The weight on top of Bubblegum had disappeared as quickly as it arrived. She breathed rapidly, daring not to look. The liquid dripped across her face, and she could feel it beginning to puddle at her side. With a last breath, she opened her eyes.

She was staring at the ceiling now, and thankfully not into Ice King's changed eyes. She breathed in heavily once again, barely able to get enough air inside. She lifted herself up, and nearly retched at the sight beyond.

Pale blue blood was plastered everywhere. Drops and splats scattered itself like fat rain drops. Sure enough, it had begun to puddle under her. she gazed to her right, discovering an unmoving Ice King, with blood coating his robes. Footsteps rapidly approached from behind, catching Bubblegum off guard.

"You alright, Bonnie?"

Bubblegum's heart had suddenly been filled with relief, hatred, and shock. She knew that voice all too well. It had belonged to Marceline the Vampire Queen.

Marceline stepped into view, and her new look shocked Bubblegum even more than she thought. She was dressed in a thick winter coat, covered with frost and tears. A sun hat blocked out most light from entering her space. Thick, leather boots covered with mud replaced her normal casual look of sandals and jeans. But, the biggest shock was the Axe bass she always carried around, now covered with pale blood.

"Geez, what happened to you? Or do I need to ask?" She gazed menacingly at Ice King's twitching body.

Bubblegum, still frozen with shock, couldn't answer. Marceline paused, her usual sarcastic look now replaced with a bit of contempt.

"Oh," She barely mumbled. She kneeled down next to Bubblegum, dropping her axe carefully next to her. She sat there, confused, not knowing what to say next. Bubblegum didn't turn towards her. she just stared straight ahead, as the blood dripped off her face and into the puddle. Then, without thinking, Marceline rapped her arms around bubblegum, holding her closer to her. Bubblegum shuttered for a moment, and remained in her shocked state for a minute. But, with a bit of resistance, she closed her eyes, and excepted the embrace. With that, a sudden tiredness had taken her, and she had fallen out, cold.

* * *

Bubblegum awakened several hours later, now warm and relaxed. She turned her head quietly, discovering she was once again in her room, cozy in bed. The shades were opened, revealing a dark, cold night. She looked over to her opposite side, spotting a small IV bag full of pink liquid connected to her wrist. She was safe and sound. She lied back, about to fall asleep once more, when her door opened up, revealing Peppermint Butler and an array of doctors.

"Oh, sorry to wake you, Princess." His voice brought her more relaxed thought, as she breathed out in relief.

"How..." Bubblegum mumbled, as the doctors very quickly check Bubblegum's pulse and replaced her IV bag. "How..."

"How long have you been asleep? At least five hours now, Princess." Peppermint motioned for the IV doctor to move. He stepped in his place. "Sleeping like a baby, may I point out."

"...What...happened?" A little but of sleep drained from her, Bubblegum sat up.

"Oh, well," Peppermint hesitated. "Well, The Ice King kidnapped you, and several other Princesses. He...well...he..."

Bubblegum sank. "Yes."

"Well, before he could do anything, Miss Marceline saved you from him. she brought you here, and told me what she saw. You were practically freezing to death."

"Wait," Bubblegum interrupted. "She brought me here?"

"And saved you. I never really did like Miss Marceline." Peppermint stepped away from the bed, and over towards the door. "But, it was a noble thing she did for you. Now, get some rest, Princess. I'll see you in the-"

"Wait!" Bubblegum stopped Peppermint. "What about the Ice King?"

"What about him?"

"What did you do to him?"

"He's downstairs in the dungeon, to be put to death."

Bubblegum paused. "Wait, did you see anything...odd...about him?"

"Well, what do you mean? Aside from the scars and wounds Miss Marceline inflicted on him, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He's still alive, if that's what your asking. Enough questions, Princess." He stepped out of the room. "Go to sleep." With that, he left.

Bubblegum was left with thousands of questions left unanswered. _What about his eyes? _She was about to ask him. _Were his eyes any different?_ She stopped questioning herself, and come up with one simple statement.

"Tommorow, I talk to Marceline." Bubblegum wondered out loud. Maybe she could help. She blew out the candle on her bedside table, but didn't fall asleep for the rest of the night. She just stared at the window, with fear still quietly churning inside of her.

**What a dark chapter! More questions arise! Are Bubblegum's sightings just things in her head? Will Marceline answer them? Tune in for more drama, more violence, more portals... :D**


	7. Chapter 05

Chapter 05- A Tiny Icebreaker

Finn couldn't sleep the night after the test. He tossed and turned in his sleep pod, trying to lull himself to sleep with the faint, ambient machinery in the distance. But, all attempts were useless.

_#608. Another human? Was she from back home, maybe from outside of Ooo? _He thought to himself, finally finding a cool place in the pod. _Maybe she knew Chell. But, Chell said she never saw any humans outside of Ooo. Just ruins and the weird raiders she discussed. This is...this is..._He groaned, disgusted by his faulty memory. He rolled on his left side, and gazed at his robotic arm. Memories immediately began flowing back.

_Maybe...she's just like me..._

He fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, he found himself motivated and suddenly anxious to leave his room. He rushed to get his clothes and equipment on, and stood in front of the exit for ten minutes, waiting for his room to hurry up and get to the HUB already. In fact, as Finn stormed out of his room and determinedly strode ahead, GLaDOS called, "What's your hurry?"

"Let's just get this day over with." Finn tried to act with an angry voice, entering the HUB.

The HUB was a massive room, with industrial lights brightly shining down on the sterile room. Tinted glass tubes stretched to the roof and back, all of them connected to a certain section of the facility. A large LCD screen replaced the forward wall, with animated graphics of the Aperture Logo flashing across it. Occasionally, it would give a subliminal speech about facility progress, solar rays, or about some guys named "Orange" and "Blue", whoever they were.

The moment Finn stepped in, the farthest right-hand elevator lit up, guiding Finn to his round of testing. He walked into the cylinder shaped pod, and descended into the testing area.

"In a hurry to start, huh?" GLaDOS asked mockingly. Finn ignored her, trying to show interest in the rapidly vanishing lights. "Could it be about, oh I don't know...#608?"

Finn froze for a moment, and desperately tried to show no interest. A faint chuckled ringed in the pod.

"It is isn't it?" Her chuckling intensified, as the elevator came to a sudden halt. As quickly as he could, he stepped out of the pod and into the test, ignoring the persistent GLaDOS.

The door opened up, revealing a small room, with two pairs of doors, one of them labeled "Test #335", the other unmarked. He walked up to the marked door, only to find it sealed.

"This must a waiting area, for #608." Finn mumbled. he propped himself against the wall, silently waiting for his new partner.

After a long ten minutes, the unmarked door opened, revealing Finn's partner. Finn felt his heart once again leap out of his chest, as she walked over to Finn smiling.

"Hey!" She said.

"Hey." Finn quietly answered, trying to control his rapidly accelerating heart. There was an awkward silence.

"Well, you two love-birds can go on in." GLaDOS chuckled. Finn stared at the nearest camera with anger as the entrance opened. He looked back over to 608, who was also silent. Finn fought a blush, instead nervously chuckling.

"Well, s-shall we go?" Finn asked, stepping into the test. #608 nodded, and they both marched into the next test.

The test was relatively simple to Finn, but at first glance, someone would probably think otherwise. A long lake of acid filled half the room. Repulsion gel valves sat on both sides of the test, and half the walls were cased of steel. As #608 followed, Finn walked down the steps and into the test. Immediately, he got to work, firing portals in every direction, covering half the room with the blue goop. They both remained silent for most of the test, as #608 did minor bits of work.

_One of us needs to say something. This is awkward. _Finn kicked a cube right into the blue lake, rocketing it to an overhead catwalk. He stared in frustration as the cube fell back down to Earth. _God damn it...why won't this damn cube stay put!?_

_PLINK!_

Finn spun around, to spot his partner, pointing her PING tool at a nearby wall. She smiled, as Finn blushed in stupidity. From there, #608 finished up the easier part of the test, and she walked out of the room, silently.

Finn thought to himself, as the tubular elevator descended into the facility. _She is just like me. _He looked at #608, staring out of the clear glass, a faint smirk on her face. Finn blushed once more, staring at his feet. _What's up with me..._

* * *

The next few tests were simple enough, a simply leap from point A to point B. The two partners remained silent for the most part, except for a few grunts of pain or exhaustion, usually a bit of both. The "day" dragged on for hours at a time, and text after test just kept coming and coming. Finally, the day winded down. Finn and #608 stood in a small, boxy room, waiting for the elevator.

Finn fidgeted nervously. _Why is this happening to me? What is...what is..._

_...I'm in love._

A faint shiver of fear rolled down his spine. _This...this can't be. _He gazed over at his partner, humming quietly to herself. _Why...why her? What about-_

_...you said so yourself...she's just like you..._

_Yes. Fine, whatever. But, what about Bubblegum?_

_...oh, you know you two were destined to fail._

Finn fought back frustrated tears. _NO! PB and I had a thing...right?_

_..._

_Right?_

"Hey, Finn?"

Finn fought back a jump. "Yeah?"

"I never did catch where you were from...if you don't mind me asking..."

Finn hesitated, and spoke. "Oh..." He took a deep breath. "I'm from a place called Ooo."

"Ooo?" She asked, loosing interest in the wall.

"Yep. It was a kingdom. A massive kingdom. Full of towns, and people, and friends, and adventure..." Finn smiled at his suddenly happy memories. #608 smirked.

"Sound's nice."

"Heck yeah, it was nice!" Finn beamed. "My friends were all there, and we had fun pretty much everyday. Oh, and there was...there was..."

_Her._

"What?"

"N-nothing." Finn's beam disappeared.

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence. Finn could almost hear LSP's distant comments.

"Well," #608 sat up from against the wall. "It sounds to me like you miss your home..." Finn watched her a faint _ding_ sounded from the exit elevator doors. "I know I miss mine..."

Finn lit up, and nearly leaped from the wall. "Whoa, wait!"

"Geez, Finn! Don't get worked up!" She turned around before leaving. "You'll see me tomorrow. After all, you are going to be seeing me for a while..."

Finn rose his head as the elevator doors sealed. He was left wondering, with a head full of unanswered questions. _Where was she from? What did she do? Why... _Finn wondered. _Did she open up so early? __Maybe...just maybe..._

Finn relaxed as his elevator arrived at the door.

"What am I worried about?" Finn mumbled. "After all," The pod descended. "I _will _seeing her for a while..."

**Ooooooh! What do you know? Do you guys think these weird feelings are true? Could Finn _really_****be in love...or is it just his imagination? Tune in for more as the story unfolds...**

**(P.S. I do apologize for any delay for this chapter)**


	8. Chapter 06

**HAPPY NEW YEAR, FOLKS! READ UP MY FIRST CHAPTER OF 2013! :D**

Chapter 06: "So...you want the truth."

"Hm," The doctor pulled the bright medical light from Bubblegum's eyes. Relieved, Bubblegum yawned and rubbed them. "Well, everything seems alright. You're perfectly healthy. No abnormalities."

"Good. Are we done here?" Bubblegum mumbled impatiently, grabbing her pink sweater.

"Well, Princess," Dr. Ice Cream wrote up a quick form of paperwork. "You really are in a hurry. Very well, you can go. But, If I may ask," Bubblegum was halfway out the door before he finished, but she stopped to listen. "Are you alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, you know_..._uh..."

Bubblegum thought for a moment. Back to the cave. To the unfamiliar stranger in Ice King's skin. She _knew_ Ice King. He would never pull something like that. EVER. But, she was saved. By..._Marceline_. Of all people. Her mind was in a complete mess.

"I'm...fine." She mumbled, walking out before Dr. Ice Cream could make another comment.

* * *

She steped outside of the grand castle, stepping back into the bright sunshine. She had just left the hospital, after being urged by Peppermint Butler to see a doctor. _To make sure everything is alright. _Bubblegum groaned, as she tugged at her sweater and stepped out towards the gates. Everyone had been asking the same questions, every minute of every day. _Are you alright, Princess? Did he hurt you, Princess? Princess...princess...princess..._

_I don't know anymore._

Maybe it was her time in Aperture. Maybe it was just because she had too many questions in her head. Maybe...there was just something wrong with her brain. With her heart. With _her_.

Bubblegum narrowly missed a street lamp as her train of thought crashed. She shook her head, trying to snap out of it. Grunting to herself, she crossed over the drawbridge and out into the plains, desperately trying to get her mind back on track. But, she knew that these questions weren't leaving without answers. And she was determined to get them.

She walked through the grasses, passing the pink ring of trees. As she reached the main road, she scoffed as she look to her right. There, sat a massive crater, plummeting miles into the hallowed earth below. Cranes and industrial lights were set up all around the mile-wide crater, and elevator rigs descended into the darkness. The ruins of Aperture Science. An exposed hell. Bubblegum continued to walk, trying to ignore the eyesore. _Let's just hurry up and get rid of it. I don't want to see it ever again. _

She walked onward, out of the plains and towards the industrial ruins in the surrounding hills. She traced the all-too familiar path, and crossed onto the ruined highway, weaving between the hills. A lot of questions needed answering, but she knew the right place to start looking. Marceline.

She crossed off the highway, entering a dark crevice in the side of a particularly mangled hill. She climbed down into the pit, and immediately found what she was looking for. A house, built within the dank cave. A completely ordinary house, in a unordinary location. Bubblegum walked across the "yard", and up to the front door. With two knocks at the door, she immediately felt butterflies beginning to fly around in her belly. _What will I say? Should I come back later? It is pretty early-_

_Chunk._ Too late.

The door swung open, revealing a rough-looking Marceline. A white tee-shirt, sweats, and messy hair had told a tale on her. Yawning and rubbing her eyes, she mumbled, "Yeah, yeah. What is it-" She looked up, spotting an embarrased Bubblegum. She stared for a minute, at her formal dress and buisness-like attitude. _Oh, boy._

"Marceline."

"Bonnie?" Marceline stretched, feeling a smirk coming on. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be doing something more..._productive_?" She mocked the monarch, giggling to herself.

"I want you to tell me about what happened."

"When what happen?" Marceline smirked. "Look, it's saturday. I don't need to say anything! Now, if you'll-"

"-About why you saved me." The words came out louder than Bubblegum intended, making the dizzy queen look up in surprise. Immediately, the smirk faded away, and was replaced with an emotionless expression. There was an awkward silence, as LSP would say.

"Well?" Bubblegum sharply stated. Marceline read her face quickly, with a surprised look still on her face. _No shit today. Just explainations. _

"Come in." Marceline motioned. Bubblegum stepped inside, as Marceline floated out of the way.

The living room was a mess, with CDs and musical equipment strewn everywhere. A red couch sat in the center of the room, untouched unlike everything else. A couple of pictures were hung on the walls. But, everything else pretty much told everything about Marceline anyone needed to know.

"Have a seat on the couch, if you want. I'll be right back." Marceline had no emotion in her voice as she floated into the other room. Clearly, Bubblegum's motions had made things a lot less complicated. Bubblegum got as comfortable as she could on the rock hard couch, and in a few minutes, Marceline returned in the same grey shirt, except with jeans and boots. She floated in front of her, and stared for a moment.

"So," Marceline broke the silence. "You want the truth."

"All of it."

"Well, where to start?" Marceline paused, her face showing signs of discomfort. "Maybe the beginning. From when we got home." Bubblegum nodded. Clearly, this wasn't something she wanted to reveal. But with a deep breath, she began.

"After Aperture, things got complicated. When everyone was told about Finn's disappearance, things got rough outside of the kingdoms. Crime went crazy. Gangs of creeps and bandits started camping up and down the kingdom, killing and pillaging whoever and whatever they could. So, while you and the politicians were trying to keep the public calm, I needed to do something. I let Chell stay at my place, since Jake was still getting over Finn." She frowned in rememberance. "She's out, today. Working on some work in Fire Kingdom, I think. Anyway, nobody needed musicians now. They needed fighters. I...joined up with a local militia."

"It was easy work. Just walk around and beat on bandits. Nothing really happned, since all the big problems were happening in the Kingdoms. But, about a week ago, we finally got a job."

"Ice King was suspected of underground activity. Something about some ancient cultic shit. He aparently had a whole private militia set up down in the mountains. Word was, they were planning on assaulting local kingdoms."

Bubblegum's mouth had dropped open. _What? But...that's not...what the hell?_

"Our militia was told to check out the mountains. So we did. You won't fucking believe what we saw. Down in his mountains, there was an entire army being set up up there. But, not the kind of people you'd think of. They were dressed in the craziest get-ups. Wierd Armor systems. Strange shipments of weapons. A gigantic tunnel system, built right into Ice King's mountain. It was almost like they were preping for WAR."

Bubblegum was almost in complete shock. "But...why?"

"No idea." Marceline continued. "We didn't have time to gain as much information as we could. We called up HQ, and told them about what we saw. But, they saw us before we could finish contact. We were taken to a prisoner tent, and we saw the big man himself. A freak in a military outfit. But, he had the strangest look about him. Inhuman."

Bubblegum thought. _So...I'm not just seeing things. _

"He beat us within an inch of our lives. Well, he burned me with sunlight, while he beat everyone else. When he finished, he threw us out into the blizzard, for us to freeze to death. But, before we could, our team shows up in the nick of time. As they were driving the guys out of the Kingdom, we tried to escape. But, then I saw him, carrying a bunch of body bags up to his cave. I needed to see what was happening. So, I checked the cave, and saw him trying to rape you and the other princesses. And I...I..."

Bubblegum was hanging off the seat, in terror and extreme interest. A look of frustrated anger had flashed on her face. "YOU WHAT?"

Marceline hesitated. "I...I...I saved you, okay? Let's leave it at that!" A horrible blush had flashed on her face, as she began to float out of the room. "You were in danger! Everyone else could be handled by the rest of-"

"Wait! WAIT, DAMN IT!" Bubblegum leaped at Marceline, sending Marceline into a wall and onto the floor. "Why!? Why me! There were others! Why just me!?" Marceline struggled under the anxious Bubblegum, the blushing growing out of preportion.

"Because I...I-" Her blush had burned into her face, morphing it into a look of anger. "GET OFF!" Bubblegum was kicked off, landing on the pile of CDs. "GET OUT, BUBBLEGUM! GET THE FUCK OUT! JUST-" She groaned in anger as she flew out of the house at the speed of a bullet.

Bubblegum cried out for Marceline, as she soared out of the cave without a trace. She stood on the porch, sweat dripping from her forehead and tears in her eyes. Almost every single question answered, but not the one that been nagging at her mind since that faithful day. _Why? Why Marceline? Why?_

Old memories had flooded her mind at that moment. Memories of Marceline's actions in Aperture. Of her actions before Aperture. Of her actions _years _ago. But, they were only memories. _Old_ memories. They can't be coming back. Could they? _Could they?_

* * *

Bubblegum returned home, with more questions in her head than when she left. As she re-entered the Kingdom, she was bombarded by her citizens once more with the same old questions. She ignored them, walking ahead, back into the castle, and back to her room. She lied on her bed, thoughts still swimming through her mind. _Too many questions. Too many questions. Too much. Too much. Too Much. _

No one dared to enter her room, afraid of the mess the Princess was in. The rape. The rebellions. The Vampire. The Human. All of them seemed to be coming back to haunt her. A repetitive hell that would never go away. Just like Aperture.

_Why did I even go?_ Bubblegum mumbled to herself, as she finally stretched out of bed. She gazed out the grand window. The moon was high in the sky now, and the city below was still bustling. Off in the distance, the industrial dig outside plowed farther and farther down. Bits of light stretched out in the distance, no doubt from escaping nomads from conquered kingdoms. _Honestly. I put myself and my kingdom in danger by leaving. All for stupid answers. Answers for questions I knew were never going to be answered. This is exactly what got me in Aperture! Fucking_ _Questions_! Bubblegum grabbed the lamp and threw it on the floor, shattering into dozens of pieces that soared in every direction. She stood there, panting in a mix of anger and sadness. Tears were threatening to bubble out from her eyes. Her fists were clenched, ready to knock someone out. Her heart was racing, her breath was speeding. Her eyes grew tightly closed, fearing what was to happen. Dreading what happened next. Her heart raced uncontrollably. Her body was about to pop, when-

_RINNGG! RINNGG! RINNGG!_

Bubblegum froze in place. She turned around from the window, and over to her note strewn desk. Her holo-phone was vibrating. She had a call.

She trudged over to the desk, her feelings placed on hold. She hadn't gotten a call since before Aperture. She pulled her notebook from the phone screen, and checked the phone ID. _Unknown. _She wondered wether she should answer, staring as the phone continued to ring. But, after a few rings, she finally clicked _answer_. A holographic cube lifted from the viewing port, revealing an all to familiar sight. Marceline.

She looked like a mess, almost as if she had been doing nothing but walking for the past year. Dirt in her hair, ragged clothes, sweat trickling down her forehead, she looked like she had been running.

"Hey." Her computer filtered voice mumbled.

"Hello." Bubblegum answered nonchalantly, crossing her arms.

Silence.

"I wanted to, uh, apologize." Marceline scratched her head, a blush barely visible with the green holograph. Bubblegum was taken aback. She never did something like that. They would just leave each other alone for a few weeks until Marceline picked another fight.

"You did?" Bubblegum questioned.

"Y-yeah." Marceline faced the camera once more. "It's been a while since i've popped like that, and it just seems like it happen a little worse than I pictured it. So...yeah."

There was another silence.

"Well...thank you." Bubblegum smiled slightly, making Marceline's blush become a bit more obvious.

"So...uh...I wanted to see if...uh...-"

"Marcy! Where did you leave the blow dryer!?" A voice sounded from the other line.

"Ugh, I'M ON THE PHONE, CHELL! SHUSH!" Bubblegum giggled, and stopped just as quickly as she started. It was the first time she's giggled in a while.

"Sorry," Marceline mumbled. "Well...uh...I want to make it up. Coffee, maybe?"

There was a long pause. Bubblegum slowly retrieved another question from her mind, and desperately replayed it over and over again in her head. _Why did Marceline save me?_ But, she quickly pushed it out of her head. That's a thought for another time.

"Sure." Bubblegum said. Marceline smiled, clearly recovering from her embarrassed state.

"Great. Tomorrow afternoon, alright?" Bubblegum nodded, and after an uncomfortable goodbye, Marceline hung up.

With that, Bubblegum lied down on her bed, feeling a peaceful sleep finally coming on. Finally, an excuse to _live_ for a while, instead of being cooped in the castle. But, deep down, the same questions and stresses lied dormant. But, they were for another time.

_Why did Marceline save me?_

Bubblegum fell asleep, with that final question pushed back. _Not tonight. Not yet..._

**HELLO! This story just seems to getting more and more dramatic! What army was Ice King associated with, and what will be his ultimate fate? What's going on between Bubblegum and Marcy? Who is Chell, Jake, and everyone else holding up? But, most of all, _what about Finn? _The last question can and will be answered. For now. Cheers! :D :D :D**

**(P.S. School's a bitch, so I'm sorry about the delays!)**


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